State Theatre

105 South 52nd Street,

Philadelphia,
PA19139

i read in the colonial theatre history the state kimball organ was installed by jim breneman at the brookline theatre in 1967 but was heavly damaged by the flood of 1973. the organ went to the colonial theatre then was purchased by sam larosa a organ restorer then gave this organ to the chicago historical society. ill post a copy of this article

I recall the shuttered building but not the marquee, but the interior was indeed fabulous from what I viewed in the Irwin Glazer book. It may have been removed as a safety precaution before the demolition, or maybe age is eroding my memory.

SIDENOTE: Is there any info regarding the old Eric Terminal Theater in the 69th St. El/Bus Terminal?

I barely remember being taken there as a kid to see Old Yeller in 1959. There were 3 other theaters on 52nd St in West Phila during that time: The Nixon, where I saw everything from “Hercules Unchained "to "Our Man Flint”, at 52nd and Market; The Locust, known for their triple bills on Saturdays (“Guns of Navarone –” Great Escape" – “The Train”)
at 52nd and Locust, and The Capitol, at 52nd just above Girard Av, where I saw “The Silencers” and “Hombre”. The State was the biggest and best of the bunch, but closed before the others, and they all played second-run double and triple bills.

By the 1980’s urban blight and multiplexes killed off these “neighborhood” theaters.